The 14 NBA teams whose games are broadcast on regional network Bally Sports are again unclear on what the future holds, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
Bally regional sports networks are owned by Diamond Sports.
“The future of Diamond Sports remains unclear, and the now-14 NBA teams that have contracts with them are entering this upcoming season unsure of where their games might air,” Vorkunov wrote. “Diamond had originally been at risk of sunsetting after the conclusion of the 2024 baseball season, but then struck a deal with Amazon to arrange a $450 million plan with creditors to keep operating beyond the last NBA season. That deal, however, has not yet been approved by the bankruptcy judge overseeing Diamond’s case.”
Teams seem to be increasingly leaving their current RSN partners, with the Portland Trail Blazers being the latest example. Blazers officials announced this week that the franchise is parting ways with ROOT Sports.
“Trail Blazers basketball will no longer air on ROOT Sports, but we thank ROOT Sports for years of great partnership,” the team said in a statement. “An exciting announcement on the future television home of Blazers basketball will be made soon.”
The New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns have also each dumped Bally Sports for alternative local broadcasts within the past year.
“The move away from cable to over-the-air TV has benefits and risks for the teams that choose to do so,” Vorkonuv wrote. “RSNs, while unstable, still offer premium local media rights fees, often because of contracts signed earlier this decade or during the 2010s. Broadcasts on free television offer teams larger audiences and visibility, but often smaller guaranteed rights fees.”
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